The Lessons in Legacy Podcast, Philanthropy Edition, In Conversation with Professor Beth Breeze

The Lessons in Legacy Podcast is a series that provides a platform for dialogue with a number of leading academics, professional advisers and business leaders about the evolution in the approaches, attitudes and adjustments successful individuals and families are taking to plan for wealth transfer.

The series follows on from Boodle Hatfield’s ‘Lessons in Legacy’ research – an initiative that highlights that legacy is no longer just about wealth preservation. With Alberto Lidji, Visiting Fellow at Cambridge Judge Business School & Founder of “The Do One Better” Knowledge Hub and Podcast and a number of leading philanthropy experts, we delve deeper into the topic of philanthropy and its growing role in the creation of a meaningful legacy amongst successful individuals and families. Across the five part mini-series we hope to deliver a rich and challenging conversation that explores how the concept of legacy impacts a person’s approach to philanthropy; why it is important for established philanthropists and potential philanthropists to consider the impact of their initiatives; whether philanthropy is too much of a distraction from the important purpose of tax; how our tax system can continue to facilitate greater philanthropy; and how we can significantly move the needle on philanthropic giving.

In the second episode of ‘The Philanthropy Edition’ Alberto Lidji and Clare Stirzaker are joined by Professor Beth Breeze. Beth is a philanthropy scholar at the University of Kent who began her career as a fundraiser and spent a decade working in a variety of fundraising, research and charity management roles. Noting the lack of substantive research underpinning the practice, Beth completed a PhD on contemporary philanthropy and has since written and edited five books. Beth is the UK’s first ever Professor of Philanthropic Studies and in January 2022, she was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) “For services to Philanthropic Research and Fundraising”.

Together Alberto, Beth and Clare look at how, hand in hand, philanthropy can be done more effectively and at greater levels. They consider the concept of quantifying the impact of giving, the role of innovation in philanthropic capital and the idea that no philanthropist is an island – collaboration and partnerships are key.